Construction toy playsets have been provided in different forms for many decades. Earliest construction toy sets provided a plurality of elongated metal elements together with suitable fastening devices to form various apparatus and play structures. Other early construction toy playsets utilize various elongated elements having end pegs together with coupling elements formed of wood or similar material having plural peg receiving passages allowing the pegged elements to be assembled to form various structures and toy apparatus. Construction toy playsets provide substantial developmental activity for the child user and thus are very well received and appreciated by educators and parents. The challenge for providing construction toy sets which enjoy commercial success is the dual roll of entertainment and amusement on one hand and child developmental skills on the other. In order for the child user to maximize the developmental activity, the user must remain interested in and challenged by the toy playset. The amusement and entertainment aspects of the toy playset provide the primary motivation for use which leads to the desired developmental skills.
Recognizing the enormous success of construction toy sets, practitioners in the art have, through the years, provided a virtually endless variety of such construction sets. Modern construction toy sets utilize large numbers of molded plastic parts which form cooperating interlock or snap-fit attachments to provide maximum flexibility and challenge for the user. As a result, construction toy sets are provided which facilitate assembling a great variety of items ranging from structural dwellings to toy vehicles or the like. In many instances, practitioners provide various specialty items within the plurality of generic construction elements to facilitate the assembly of challenging devices or apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,683 issued to Christiansen sets forth a TOY BUILDING ELEMENT INCLUDING A ROTATABLE BUSHING having plural interlocking building elements which accommodate a rotatable bushing and shaft combination. As a result, structures such as rotatable wheels may provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,647 issued to Zuviria sets forth a SOLID RECTANGULAR BUILDING BLOCK FOR TOY BUILDING SET having a plurality of block structures defining plural ribs and grooves allowing the blocks to interlock. Additional elements may be secured to the blocks such as wheel shafts or the like to enhance flexibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,376 issued to Mayuzumi, et al. sets forth a TOY THAT CAN BE ASSEMBLED INDEPENDENTLY BY A CHILD having a planar base member defining a plurality of peg receiving holes therein together with a plurality of coupling elements supporting plural outwardly extending pegs. Elongated flexible elements are interlockably received upon the coupling elements allowing various structures to be fabricated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,130 issued to Forsstrom sets forth a CONSTRUCTION SERIES FOR MOLECULAR MODELS having a plurality of generally spherical interlocking elements which may be assembled to represent various atoms and molecules.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,398 issued to Hida sets forth an CONSTRUCTION TYPE EDUCATIONAL AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE having a basic element which defines a generally spherical hollow module or capsule having adjuncts which may be interconnected and operatively assembled into a large number of different configurations to form various apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,929 issued to Zawitz sets forth an ANNULAR SUPPORT DEVICE WITH PIVOTAL SEGMENTS having a plurality of torus segments interconnectable end to end to form an annular loop in which each segment is independently pivotal to form various shapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,040 issued to Shiraishi sets forth a CONSTRUCTION TOY SET having a variety of component parts including bases, housings and auxiliary members. Male and female connecting elements attached to the respective components allow for assembly in a variety of configurations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,143 issued to Gat, et al. sets forth ASSEMBLY TOYS FOR JOINING CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS having a plurality of devices for removably connecting a plurality of cylindrical objects. Each device includes apparatus for interconnecting to other devices at a variety of angles and for securing a cylindrical object.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,982 issued to Erickson sets forth CONSTRUCTION APPARATUS having a plurality of relatively flat components each having at least three sides. The apparatus further includes an elongated rod-like member extending along each side and in large corner portions between the members. A plurality of connectors are provided for interconnecting adjacent sides of members to form structures.
In many construction sets, apparatus is provided for specialized assembly such as toy vehicles or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,876 issued to Bertrand sets forth an AXLE STRUCTURE AND AXLE JOINT FOR CONSTRUCTION TOY ASSEMBLY having a base plate, an abutment plate normal to one edge of the base plate, a cross-shaped columnar connector perpendicular to the base plate and a cross-shaped shaft perpendicular to the abutment shape. The shaft defines bulges at its free end and is attachable to the cross-shaped structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,384 issued to Poulsen sets forth a STEERING MECHANISM for use with toy building sets to assemble devices such as toy vehicles. The mechanism includes rack means and a pinion cooperating therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,656 issued to Friedman, et al. sets forth WHEEL AND WINCH ASSEMBLIES utilizing identical hubs and axles in a toy construction set. A special block having a axle projecting therefrom is provided and a hub mechanism is receivable upon the shaft to support a resilient tire.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,077 issued to Vuillard sets forth a MODULAR TOY while U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,202,132 and 4,136,482 both issued to Fischer set forth interacting structural elements generally related to construction toy sets.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the art generally and have in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, interesting and challenging construction toy sets.